You know the look when someone smiles, but they really want to throttle you? New Torino coach Sinisa Mihajlovic wore that expression on Sunday, due to the teenage phenomenon he launched.

AC Milan goalkeeper, 17-year-old Gianluigi 'Gigio' Donnarumma, saved a 96th-minute penalty to give the Rossoneri a home win and frustrate Mihajlovic. Fine way to thank his boss at the San Siro for most of last season.

It was Miha’s first league game in charge of the Turin side, and by quirk of fate it was against the club that dumped him in the spring. One of the few positive aspects of the no-nonsense Serb’s tenure was to make Donnarumma No 1.

Donnarumma shows his delight after saving a late penalty to help AC Milan defeat Torino

DONNARUMMA'S SERIE A STATS

Serie A stats

Appearances

31

Starts

31

Minutes played

2719

Yellow cards

3

Red cards

0

Clean sheets

10

Minutes per goal conceded

88

Goals conceded

31

Saves

85

Save percentage

73.28

Penalties faced

5

Penalties saved

1

Catches

10

Punches

26

Drops

1

Mihajlovic, who gave the young stopper his league debut aged 16 against Sassuolo in October last year, half joked: 'If I’d known he’d do that, I wouldn’t have given him his debut.' The 47-year-old added: 'I know how good he is, he didn’t need to save the penalty to prove it.'

The home side went 3-1 up thanks to Colombian striker Carlos Bacca’s hat-trick, before Daniele Baselli pulled one back in the first minute of injury time. Then when Torino won a penalty home fans feared the worst.

Throwing away a victory in such dramatic circumstances would have been a blow for new Milan coach Vincenzo Montella. The hosts’ 6ft 5in goalkeeper had previously faced four penalties in Serie A and saved none.

But this time it was different. Donnarumma, eerily calm in his all-gold kit, filled the goal, looking more like a basketball player than a footballer. Gigio dived to his left and parried Andrea Belotti’s spot kick. The Rossoneri took all three points.

Montella felt it was the correct result, saying: 'Donnarumma preserved justice, going on what I saw out there. The energy within the team inspired him to save the penalty.'

Giampiero Ventura, new Italy boss, was a special observer at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium. He and future Azzurri coaches know that after Gianluigi Buffon finally hangs up his gloves, there is another outstanding stopper tailor made.

Share this article

Share

3.8k shares

In his early teenage years, the unassuming ace had trials at Juventus and Inter, but when he discovered his beloved AC Milan wanted to take look, his mind was made up. Father Alfonso told the Corriere del Mezzogiorno: 'Napoli were interested too. But he wanted Milan, full stop.'

The ambitious boy moved to Milan in 2013 and found it tough to settle initially. But his strength of character served him well. Former Rossoneri coach Filippo Inzaghi promoted Gigio to the first team squad in 2014-15.

When injuries and suspensions ruled out Diego Lopez and Michael Agazzi for the league game against Cesena on 22nd February 2015, Inzaghi named Donnarumma on the bench. He didn’t get on the pitch but gained invaluable experience of the first team ambience.

The breakthrough came at the expense of Diego Lopez last season. Mihajlovic unexpectedly axed the former Real Madrid man for the match with Sassuolo last October 25th. Many felt the Serbian coach was mad to give the schoolboy his bow.

Donnarumma thrived, and in February became the youngest goalkeeper to start a Milan derby. Nothing fazed the gangly 16-year-old and the comparisons with Buffon began.

The highly-rated Italian starlet wears the No 99 shirt for his beloved AC Milan side

Donnarumma has the same agent as Manchester United new boy Paul Pogba (right)

Raiola represents the £45m-rated keeper but he is expected to prolong his AC Milan stay

Serie A table after opening weekend

An early starter himself, Buffon said: 'My advice? You must mature quickly, so you can work out for yourself the right things to do and things to avoid in this world of top level football.'

Donnarumma has taken it all in his stride. His club and more switched on quarters of the media demand he is granted time and space to continue his development. Sebastiano Vernazza wrote in Monday’s Gazzetta dello Sport: 'let’s leave him in peace, he’s 17 years old.'

Outgoing president Silvio Berlusconi, who recently sold the club to Chinese investors, always dreamed of a team with a youthful Italian presence.

Donnarumma has been likened to Juventus and Italy legend Gianluigi Buffon (pictured)

The teenager hugs Buffon following a match between AC Milan and Juventus in April 2016

Fans aren’t too keen on captain Riccardo Montolivo, and for all his heroics, Bacca is constantly linked with a move. Donnarumma and creative midfielder Giacomo 'Jack' Bonaventura are their new darlings.

The teenager is valued at around £45million by the Italian press. Mino Raiola is his agent, the same man who manages Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Mario Balotelli. The cunning Raiola will make sure his client is well-rewarded by the Rossoneri.

Berlusconi wants Donnarumma to play for Milan for the next 20 years, but that depends on whether the seven-times European champions can fight for major titles again. There will be plenty of suitors, including in the Premier League, if the boy wonder gets itchy feet.

But for now the giant from Castellmmare di Stabia, near Naples, is concentrating on restoring the glory days to team he has supported since childhood. Milan and Italy are in safe hands for years to come.

But should you bump into Mihajlovic, don’t ask what he thinks of his protege Gigio. Unless you are prepared for some salty language.